My mind misgives me that I did not say that I hope to come to luncheon on Wednesday

C M Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan I like the appearance of the proof copy of the Ben Beriah very much and perhaps it would be best to work out the edition. The doubt in my mind would be whether it will be favorably [sic] received as ranging with my tales and novels. I suppose there is no possibility of adding a preface now, I had not put one because it would not have suited in St Nicholas, and I ... continue reading

. . .Whether I shall accomplish wishing you and Lady Margaret Hall a good New Year to-day must depend on the need of refreshing the church decorations, which always comes severely on the permanent workers, when the enthusiasm of the festival is over, with their occasional helpers . . . . I sometimes think I could make a dissertation on staying at home in the holidays and getting every one's work to ... continue reading

My dear Mary I hope the sheep robbers did not reach the roots of the Corfu iris, and that other plants will recover. You must put in plenty of annuals to repair the damage. I suppose that having workmen about the gates and gaps became infirm, but the maids ought to have seen the enemy. I am afraid in the present state of things, I cannot leave home for though Gertrude is generally ... continue reading

Dear Madam I think yours is a useful paper, and I shall be glad to have it for Mothers in Council when there is room for it, but the April number is full

yours truly C M Yonge

My dear Mary I hope the sheep were expelled sufficiently not to return again, and that these lovely spring days are healing the wounds they left. I went to the Copse today and found the daffodils all but out, and there are many violets in the garden. The excitement of the week was that last Sunday morning Miss Finlaison fell down stairs with a large red glass lamp in her hand, which cut her ... continue reading

Dear Madam As far as I can remember the first four tales were Redclyffe Heartsease Hopes and Fears Dynevor Terrace

because I meant them to have some sort of analogy to the four seasons

The Daisy Chain Trial are really connected, and the Pillars of the House came later but picked up on Countess Kate and the Daisy Chain in the course of the story -

Scenes and Characters had been written long before, but was taken up again in [[cmybook:184]Two Sides of ... continue reading

Dear Madam I am very sorry I cannot help you to Ben Sylvester. I have not even one of my own except in a bound up volume, and the copyright is not mine. But if you enquired for it direct from Innes they might find a last copy, or be stirred to a reprint.

yours truly C M Yonge

. . . But I must tell you of something that has given me the greatest pleasure. About two years ago a lady belonging to the Mission at Calcutta wrote to me that a Hindu student had been so much impressed with the Pillars of the House as to accept Christianity, and that he was going to be baptized. So I sent out one of those illuminated cards that are given at baptisms (Henry Bowles ... continue reading

My dear Mary I hope your Dynamite explosions will soon cease Are they through Sheepstor or through the wood above Hanover Green[?] Major Woollcombe and I have been mourning over them. He does not think the Auckland people are RCs. You remember one Lord Auckland was Bishop of the I of Man. A RC named Capes, who takes one of the houses on the Winchester Road and the village people say his rough ... continue reading

Dear Sir In answer to your enquiries I beg to state that I believe my first publication was about the year 1846. I edited the Monthly Packet from its commencement in 1851 till 1893. I have never resided anywhere but in this village

I remain &c C M Yonge

My dear Mary I hope you accomplished meeting Jane Moore after all, though the hitting off the right time with any Colborne is so difficult, I wonder whether Jane looks as bright and fresh as ever. We are going through a grave time- When the Woollcombes came at the end of April, Gertrude was in the midst of a very bad sick fit, however she began to revive, and they went away on Monday ... continue reading

My dearest Marianne- Raby will have told you that my dear home companion's long patience has ended.

She was really dying ever since last evening, though the end did not come till one o'clock to-day, holding my hand, and asking Henry's prayers all the time till consciousness was gone, not many minutes before the end. I do not think in the relief I feel the difference it will make to me.

Your strawberries were really welcome to me---one ... continue reading

My dear Mary Gertrude’s long patience is over- It has been a sharp morning, ever since 9 o’clock she has been actually dying - Henry came and gave her the Holy Communion at 10 and then she went on whispering for his Prayers and hymns till 1 o’clock always holding my hand when consciousness failed her, and she went about a quarter past. It has been a very dear companionship of 24 years ... continue reading

My dear Mary You will like to know that the funeral is to be on Monday- her 48th birthday. By her own wish, she is to be carried into Church at 8 for the Celebration. Burial at 3. Hymns ‘The King of Love’ and ‘Peace, perfect peace’ her own choice.

Frances is here I wish you could pay me a real visit a little later when the house has been set to rights, but I ... continue reading

My dear Ellie

Thank you. I have written to Logan to begin next Tuesday the 29th. To start at the quarter is convenient to one’s memory. I suppose he can hardly be Miss Sturges Bourne’s old Logan, is he his son?

‘From Lynn to Milford Bay’ I thought of on Tuesday when our fire was blazing built judgematically under Mr Dennis’s superintendence so as to be bright for half an hour and then to fade. Seven ... continue reading

My dear Mary Helen and I are sitting outside the summer shelter for its shade She is full of histories of London where they saw everything beautifully in the Park. George – as one of the 14 Rhodesian horse, had no end of honors[sic], the mob tried to kiss their medals (which were not the right ones after all, they get them tomorrow from the Prince at Buckingham Palace) He had to ride ... continue reading

My dear Helena Here is your ‘little bill’ I made out the cheque to you as I thought it might give less trouble.

I am not sure if you meant that Mrs White was one of the two daughters who erected Richard Cromwell’s Monument or one of the Wyndham daughters, on the tablet of the Bethia who had twenty children. What was the date?? I do not think you mentioned it of either. When we came ... continue reading

My dear Bea, I think I might add these two bits from ‘Old Times at Otterbourne’ as the thing turns out so short

I heard a very odd thing from Anna Bramston. She says she has seen a sword said to be old Oliver Cromwell’s in the possession of old Mr Comely. He said that at the sale in ‘the old home’ a blacksmith had obtained it, and it had descended to him. Could the old house ... continue reading

Dear Madam Q Q belonged to some relations of mine, and was much liked, and I think borrowed by my Mother. I well remember the story of the child who dealt in imperfections and was taught to persevere by having a perfect article given her whenever she completed anything. I do not think it disquieted me but was rather a stimulus but then I was not a modern child. I believe I rather confuse Q ... continue reading

My dear Miss Blackburne I have advised this Sister Margaret Paulu to write to you about her appeal, as you might manage to get it in for her. I did not know her Mother, they lived beyond our neighbourhood, but my father knew hers well in magistrate's business, as Col A'Court, and had a great regard for him as an excellent person

yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear C C I hope your Rector has made a good beginning. Had you to hear the 39 articles? Mr Bowles read them out twice, and Mr Gordon Wickham of Crookham fainted away in the middle of the celibacy of the clergy, and Lord Frederick Kerr carried him out of the pulpit which as he afterward, after much difficulty, married Miss Kerr, was highly curious.

I send you two more sets of leaves which ... continue reading

My dear Mary How nice to have two letters from you together! You are alone, as I am for a fortnight as Helen comes on the 30th, and Lottie has just left me, but I am not sorry for a little quiet time. Thank you for letting me see those letters, I think almost Grandmamma’s last words to Dr Harris were ‘Don’t let Fanny be in a scene not fit for her,’ and we ... continue reading

My dear Aimée, Many thanks for the Major Correspondence. The account of the battle of Newbury is curious and so is the account of the week’s pay of the officers and soldiers The trumpeters must have made a good thing of it. Pray thank the possessor very much from me.

The woods are a perfect feast of colour just now, almost as lovely as in primrose time

yours affectionately C M Yonge

My dear Miss Christie

I had just been thinking of you, being reminded of your work by the review of Mrs. Ritchie's book, one which carries one along with it entirely, though I am not sure that her power is not greater in sketches of character in real life than in the construction of stories. Indeed she is too true to nature to satisfy one always with poetical justice, which, after all, one does ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan I wish to consult you on a matter that I am taking in hand.

Hursley - beside the recent association with Mr Keble has a good deal of local interest connected with it. It has the remains of an old Castle destroyed in Stephen’s time, and the customs of the manor’ are all complete

There are a few curious local anecdotes connected with the place, and there is correspondence in Cromwell’s life about his son ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

One of my very first ventures in publishing was ‘Kenneth: or the Rear Guard of the Grand Army’. J.H. Parker of Oxford published it, on the half profits system, I retaining the copyright. There were two or three editions but it has gone out of print, though I am sometimes asked how to get it.

Also, about 1850 and 52, Masters published Henrietta’s Wish, and the Two Guardians, republished from the Churchman’s Companion. Both ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan I think it might be well to republish Kenneth. I would add a preface of apology for blunders

Yours truly C M Yonge

My dear Canon Warburton Would it be asking too much of your kindness to ask you to glance over this paper and see whether it is an advisable one to have in Mothers in Council. I do not know whether you have heard of the Mother's Union, started by Mrs G Sumner (the wife of the Bishop of Guildford) at first for poor women, to rouse them to some heed to the training of ... continue reading

My dear Cousin Arthur Charlotte F Yonge tells me that you are anxious to know what I think of your daughter’s book. Of course I looked it up at once in the Swedish history which, equally of course, was too small to give all the details, though there was quite enough to see that she had full authority for all she said.

The first scene is wonderful, it reminds me nothing so much as that where the ... continue reading